Don Q Fan

This is spooky because I was just thinking about Onegin on my drive home today - I am finding the business over where you can/can't perform Onegin and no video of Onegin performances being allowed really annoying, petty and very small minded of the Estate of Cranko whom I believe put the blocks on these things - please correct me if I am wrong. Why is this such a crime? Was it actually written in Cranko's last Will and Testament that this had to be so or is it just his Executors or family essentially being mean? Surely a choreographer's aim is to get his work seen by as many people as possible? I love Cranko's Onegin it's such a good ballet and would dearly love to have a DVD. Could a modern day choreographer do a new Onegin "after" John Cranko or is that not allowed either? Sorry if I have gone off topic.

Great news and well deserved by Momoko and Tyrone!

Have to agree with the comments above the camera angles were atrocious for the ballet - you could not even see the feet and I think had I been sat in the audience live it would have been no better - too far away. The costumes did look like they were fabulous but again not one close up zoom in on any of the dancers. Matthew Bourne's piece was nice but again only what you could see of it - it suffered from a dark stage and the dancers all in black! As to the Coronation Gala tickets question the tickets were on public sale I think before Christmas or else new year via the Royal Collection website - I am pretty sure - I often check there for exhibitions at the Palaces so there was no hiding of the tickets they just got snapped up as soon as they went on sale.

Good for you shushing them - they are not exempt and should have know better!! Enjoy DonQ again - i am seeing it again in Manchester woohoo and yes I agree SNB certainly are her there and everywhere for sure!!

Yes and yes! Enjoy.

Thanks, but it seems like more hassle - I spend enough time managing my photos on the home pc without adding an online account as well LOL!

I have some some lovely pics too of N&I but no idea how to post on here - other forums I frequent are as easy as click a paper clip browse and select but this forum does not seem to have that facility sadly.

Yes just turn up at Stage Door after the show and wait for as long as it takes (could be 30 mins or 2+ hours I have waited for Kondaurova of the Mariinksy!) you will surely get an autograph. Smirnova is not yet a big name so I expect she won't be so "popular" as one of the bigger names like Zakharova or Alexandrova. Don't forget your pens and a camera either although it is polite to ask to take a pic! Oh and have your programm page or cast sheet ready for signing as Zakharova got in a right tizz when my page wasn't open at the right place!!

Can't speak for Smirnova having never seen her myself yet, but the other two are same as I have booked and I expect great things!! Happy to swap notes with you in the interval of Swan Lake - PM me if you wish to.

This line up looks fabulous - esp as Leanne will be dancing too! So glad I went for this and not a second Bolshoi Bayadere! Can't wait!

Have to agree with what Janet says re the DonQ performance...it was a curtailed version - no prologue to set the scene, but I enjoyed it more than the Nureyev version but it was not like a Russian performance! Yes the use of castanettes by the dancers - Espada in particular - was brilliant. Basilio was good and that Bolshoi lift was amazing...I think he is a dancer with potential. I went to Giselle on the opening night - again a fair performance and very nicely done but no fireworks. However of the 3 performances - Swan Lake last night was by far and away their party piece - the corps de ballet did some really super formations - danced to precision (with the aid of some quite visible lines(!)) but their lines were perfectly straight and they moved pretty much as one...it really was rather good. Add to this the fabulous court Jester he was really good - probably the best dancer of the run.The costumes in the Black Act were very pretty. The performance received lots of applause at the end. Odette/Odile and the Prince were danced by Monday's Giselle and Albrecht (I haven't got the cast sheet to hand sorry). Just one thing that bugged me was the violins in the orchestra - they sounded really out of tune every night - like a child learning kwim?! Not quite sure what was going on with the sound from the pit!! I enjoyed my evenings with SNB but I am glad to have a night off today!!

^^ thank you for the confirmation - I am so pleased for Ekaterina

I hope she is - but the Bolshoi website has her listed initially under Principals but when you click to go to her page then it says "Leading Soloist" and no mention of a promotion on her biography. The other dancers have "Principal" on the heading of their pages. Maybe the website is out of date?

Groupon has a half price offer on now too.

I chose to see Maria Alexandrova in Swan Lake. I like her and have not seen her as O/O yet so have high hopes, and she is always so gracious at stage door too unlike Ms Z on the one occasion I encountered her! I saw Zakharova in Amsterdam as O/O and was technically great but emotionally - nope, I call her "the ice maiden". I like Shipulina and cannot understand why she has never been promoted to Principal? The first time I ever saw the Bolshoi was Swan Lake was at The Lowry and she was O/O. I recall it was all very good/enjoyable. Most of all I am looking forward to seeing Jewels as this is a good show case ballet for lots dancers - Kaptsova, Merkuriev, Smirnova in the performance I am seeing - if you want to see a good cross section of Bolshoi dancers why not book Jewels? Either way it is the Bolshoi it will be good!

Woohoo I got it booked at my local Vue Cinema along with Fille!!! So glad you will get to see it too it was beautiful back in February but I can't wait to see it large on the big screen too and I hope there will be interviews in between too! Hope you enjoy the show!

Ooh thank you I will check it out!! Fingers x'd.

Wow fab dancing and a great way to advertise the new Lexus 10/10 to Lexus for thinking up this idea! Hope it gets shown in the cinemas when the ballet is on live.

Not necessarily - I said promotions across the ranks.

Well that's pretty much the same in business too, when times are hard it's slim pickings. On my wish list for promotions amongst all ranks are Melissa Hamilton, Alexander Campbell, Davvid Tresensimeich and Valentino Zucchetti - I am most familiar with them - but from reading others' comments I dare say Hikaru K, Yuhi C and Hirano are also up there.

Am gutted that Ambra Vallo is leaving BRB. Have enjoyed a few of her performances over the years, just not enough of them. Also v sad to see Victoria Marr depart such a fabulous actress! 2013 is certainly a year of changes for BRB and RB! I just hope that maybe now Momoko gets a promotion.

Many thanks MAB for the inside info on the theatre. Will bear it in mind.

The VIP seats at the Lowry are a new one on me too! I took row D only £34 inc fees and view is fine from row D.

I saw the matinee and after reading the comments here fully lowered my expectations of Raven Girl. However I found it to be "OK", which for McGregor is something short of a miracle coming from me. I was discussing it with my ballet friend after and we both agreed that it was a total waste of Federico Bonelli, I don't see why a principal dancer was required to ride a bike and sort a few letters, anyone could have done that. Melissa Hamilton did her best with the role as did Alexander Campbell. The moves were very stretching as expected but I paid to see ballet not gymnastics. I didn't like the blank faces and why did the costume/set designers think black on black works - you cannot see the legs or footwork. As my neighbours and I were saying why can't the lighting people in particular credit the audience with a degree of intelligence and ASSUME that we know it's meant to be dark and light the stage properly so we CAN see what's going on. What 19th century couple? Missed that!! Final pdd was lovely and the music beautiful. My friend said that would make a good exerpt for a gala - I agree. The little girl next me loved it - she had read the book! Contrast that to Symphony in C and she was twitching as there was no story so something everyone or not as the case may be. Symphony in C was like eating a top quality Champagne Truffle after Raven Girl. Absolutely glorious - well lit and lovely costumes and super dancing from everyone. Roberta Marquez really seemed to be enjoying herself and Alexander Campbell was her perfect partner - their timing was really spot on - can't wait to see them together in Don Q!!! All the principal roles were beautifully danced the corps work was good, good timing great stuff. What an absolute joy to behold, pure unadulterated Balanchine. Loved every bit of it -bravo!

In short - the only bit I didn't like was the dreadful Russian model "presetnter" maybe she should stick to the catwalk!